Armenia plans nuclear plant upgrades with Russia's Rosatom

Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has reached a framework agreement with the Russian state corporation Rosatom to install a new system in the plant, the NPP's General Director, Eduard Martirosyan, announced.

He said the second phase of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant’s (NPP) lifetime extension is planned for 2026, with the first phase, covering 2016–2026, now nearing completion, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

At present, the NPP is undergoing cooling system replacements and ongoing analysis of the reactor vessel’s metal condition. Repairs are also in the final stage on the nuclear power plant's “calling card” — the cooling towers.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the work will take approximately 160 days, but to minimise downtime, the schedule is being reduced to 140 days in coordination with Russian partners.

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), also known as Metsamor NPP, is Armenia's sole nuclear facility, located near Metsamor about 30–36 km west of Yerevan. It features a single operating unit with a capacity of approximately 407.5–440 MW, generating around 30–40% of the country's electricity.

By Khagan Isayev